Unauthorised Vacation?
by Lamila
Summary: After being called back to earth Sheppard disappears and is declared MIA. This is how Atlantis could react and what happends when Kolya again try to take over Atlantis.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Stargate Atlantis! It belongs to MGM

Ok this chater have been rewritten and hopefully be sent to a beta soon.** Don't kill me please**

---

He stared at the back off his best friend who stood over his open back and packed down his things. Two and a half years had they been side by side, fighting wraiths and getting kidnapped.

"I can't believe they do this to you!After all you've done for this expedition and they just… call you back like a dog…" he said still caught in his disbelief, and saw John's back stiffen.

"I thought you wanted to get rid of me Rodney? You've certainly said it enough times…" the fake smile sent his way made his insides drop. Suddenly it felt even more horrible then before. Like always when there was a emotional situation he couldn't deal with he just glared and snarled.

"Oh real nice. I only say that when you get us in trouble which is always… but that's not the point! The point is I never thought you'd actually _go_ anywhere!!" Without knowing it he had started to pace the room. Within the day this room would be empty of that annoying poster and every other little stupid thing the pilot used to make this room his own.

"Easy McKay, don't give yourself brain damage" John said without even looking up from his bag.

"How can you be so damn calm?! They are taking you _away_ from us Sheppard! Away from Atlantis and away from this galaxy even! And all that for what? _Antarctica?!_" he exclaimed and stoped to stare at the other man. How could he be so calm? He was going back to earth to do a stupid job anyone could do. Should he just pretend to be happy about that?

"McKay! Don't… just don't" came the simple words and it was almost like being shot. It hurt that the man that was Rodney's first ever real friend was leaving and seemingly without a second thought about it.

"What's that supposed to mean? That all these years was for nothing?!" he shrieked and again he feel it his body go numb. How was he supposed to do this?

"McKay, you only make this harder then it have to be! Can't you even pretend to be happy I'm leaving?" It was worse then getting shot. Letting the ice mask slip in place he stod straighter then before as he watched John pack.

"Of course I'm happy for you. Why should I care weather you are here almost getting killed off world or getting shoot down over Antarctica? Have fun" and with that he left. There was other things to do after all.

---

"Cutting it a little short, aren't you Colonel Sheppard?" Caldwell asked as John came running from somewhere in the city and stopped in front of them. A small smirk played on his own lips when John's eyes narrowed at the other man without saying anything. There he stood i his usual bdu's and cawled up sleeves and it didn't look like he's be leaving them at all. Behind them Lorne lowered the Jumper down from the bay and set i down behind John without any off the grace that said man posessed in those ships.

"Sorry Sir, just saying good bye to Atlantis" John finally explained himself with his teasing lopsided smile.

"Fine, just make sure you get away on schedule" and with that the new Military Commander, Colonel Caldwell, left.

"Evan… take care off my city for me" their friend said and slapped Major Lorne on the shoulder.

"Always Sir,"

"Don't blow up any solar systems, Meredith" John told him and he only glared at him. The man _knew_ it was only three forths.

"Kolya?" the name was spit out and pulled him from his thoughts harshly. Hate filled him quickly as the man who'd tortured his best frind was mentioned. Ronon however growled and gave a sharp nod that brought a smile to John's face.

"Thanks Chewie" he said before he turned to Teyla. They simply leaned their foreheads against the others and smiled sadly..

"I hid some vanilla in your desk, since you can't go down to the cafeteria every time…" John told Elizabeth wgo gave him one off her sad smiles, it was so typical him to think off everyone else before himself!

"Thank you John. And next time we're on earth we'll come visit you…" she started to say but his chuckle interrupted her.

"If you want to freeze to death, bye guys" and with that he was gone. After a self bitter and ironic comment very unlike him he'd just turned and disappeared into the Jumper that went through the event horizon. They all stared after him and it was as if suddenly the sky was a little darker outside.

---

One week passed almost in a blurry for him. In between off worlds missions and his usual work in the labs there was a series off seemingly random malfunctions he was sent around the city to fix. Like it wasn't beneath him to fix hot water and doors. He would probobly have crashed if it wasn't for Teyla and Ronon taking him to lunch (or it to him sometimes) as well as draging him away for some forced sleep. Unfortunaly that seemed to be the time the city decided to have more serious malfunctions then before, pulling him awaya to work again.

"What is wrong with the city, Rodney?" Teyla asked one day at dinner on the balcony (he'd been trying to shut the door for over three hours now) and he took a moment to realy watch her. She looked as tired as he feelt, her hair pulled away from her face and she was wearing the t-shirt John had given her once. A pang of guilt erupted in him.

"I don't know! I've been trying to figgure out some common factor for all these things but it all semes to random to be conected. I have no idea what is wrong this time!" he told her and stared out over the ocean. They all sat in silence for a moment.

"Sometimes when I walk out here, I still think I'll find him standing by the railing and watching the ocean" Elizabeth's voice came suddenly from the door behind them and surprised they all turned to watch her.

"He isn't. All he have here is a door as s tubborn as him that won't close!" he exclaimed in a attempt to get the immage away from before his eyes. Even more annoyed then before he threw his scone at the panel by the door. Unfortuanly, he missed and it hit Lorne in the head istead. Blushing beat red he turned and walked away as fast as he could while Ronon laughed behind him.

---

"I've assigned Lt. Smith on your team. You'll be leaving for a mission on PXY-257 in an hour" Caldwell told them from his position in the door to the gym as Teyla and Ronon was sparring and he worked on his laptop in a corner.

"We'll be fine without him" Ronon growled and neither him nor Teyla slowed their attacks on the other.

"She'll be on your team or you all will be taken off of duty" Caldwell said an narrowed his eyes at them.

"How much experience does she have? I really don't want to get killed just because you put a newbie…" he stated annoyingly as he panicked on the inside. He knew they would replace Sheppard but it was too soon. This new person would screw it up. He quieted when Caldwell shouted at him.

"Colonel Sheppard was careless in his way to run this base and I will not make the same mistakes he did" Caldwell threatened with narrowed eyes before he turned and left. Ronon let out a angry shout before he twisted around from Teyla to bang on the wall as hard as he could.

---

Lieutenant Smith was a short skinny young woman who had pale brown hair that was chopped off at her shoulders and dead grey eyes. Easy to say she wouldn't seduce any aliens and get them into trouble that way. They all got dressed in the ready room under silence and even he didn't feel like talking. No he felt like he'd much rather go back to his lab and sulk, maybe even scream at his colleges a little bit. He had been up all night trying to get a new ancient device to work but his gene wasn't string enough to turn it on. His first reaction when he'd deemed it safe for powering up, had bean to call Sheppard down to the lab when he realized it wasn't possible. Of course his next reaction was to try and turn it on himself but when he had no success after one hour and another hour off trying to convince Beckett it was safe. Easy to say he wasn't really up for running around trying not to get shoot with the sucky replacement.

---

As something caught him square in the back off his head the force and the surprise of the attack was enough to make him stumble and curse before he rubbed the place where he was sure to get a bruise.

"Who the hell did that?!" he snarled as he turned around to glare at Lt. Smith who took a step back and looked at him with wide eyes. What kind of replacement for Sheppard was this? The kid was afraid of him just like the idiots working in his lab. What the hell would Caldwell stick them with if Ronon left as well? The Satedan had been strange ever since Sheppard left and it had been getting worse and worse off late. Annoyed, both by the hit and his thoughts, he looked around after the thrown subject to throw it back (at what, he didn't know yet) when he found a power bar laying innocently at the ground. Narrowing his eyes he bent down and picked it up, even stranger then the sky suddenly raining food was that there was the words written on it as well.  
_Eat, McKay  
_Stunned he looked up at lt. Smith again who looked awywere but at him. . When Teyla's small hand landed on his tense shoulder he must have jumped at least 10 feet high into the air.

"What is it Rodney?" she asked softly and he could see in her eyes she was worried and tense at his behavior. Wordlessly he handed her the power bar over his shoulder as he glared at Smith. He had enough sense not to say anything Lt. Smith would be able to report back to Caldwell. When her hand gripped slightly harder on his shoulder he knew she was just as skeptical. Then she turned around and walked over to Ronon so they both was on the edge all the way back to the gate. Rodney himself looked over the power bar critically before he opened it and smelled it. It didn't smell bad and the package didn't seem to be broken so he took his chances and ate it up. He as starving after all.

---

"Hurry up McKay" Ronon growled (which he'd done a lot more often lately) and Rodney glared up at him before he turned back to the hacking he was doing on the computer.

"This is even more impossible then it usually is when you say that so shut up and wait a sec and I'll fix it! Do you know how hard it is to hack into SGC's database?!" he answered and Ronon growled again before he started to pace around. Really it shouldn't be called pacing since he looked more like a wild animal trapped in a small cage then he himself did when he was pacing. After a moment he gave a shout off success when the files and rapports on John Sheppard showed up on the screen.

---

He tried to catch up with Teyla and Ronon as they both ran throughwards the gate room. Maybe he should have taken John up on those run's the pilot had sugested, but how often was it really that they ran when they wasn't escaping for theri lives? He could hear how the personal off Atlantis was hastily moving out off the path for the furious Satedan who was stalking the corridors. When he finally aught up they were already in the gate room and Ronon was shouting for somebody to dial a planet.

"Ronon now is not the time to act harshly" Teyla spoke softly and laid an shaking hand on the huge mans arm since he was to tall for her to reach his shoulder. Full off harsh emotions Ronon shock it off and glared up at the control room personal.

"He'd have killed you for acting this stupid!" rodney himself shouted at him and Ronon twisted around fast enough for his hair to swing around him as he advanced on him. Both off them was pulled from their own grief's when suddenly a uncharacteristic sob escaped Teyla and she slapped her hands over her face as she tried to hide the tears. The petite Athosian woman was shaking violently and it looked like she was going to break. The fury died down inside the Satedan who turned into the over protective teady bear he was known to become on ocation.

"Go pack McKay, we're going to the main land" he was ordered just before Teyla's legs gave away under her. Quickly Ronon caught her.

"Ronon what happened?" Dr Weir's voice broke the haze he was in and he turned slightly to stare up at her where she stood.

"Sheppard had been dead since he left. Something happened, he was in a village that got culled. McKay stole his files" Ronon looked a bit guilty at the look off absolute horror at her face.

"What?" the disbelif in Elizabeth's voice was clear.

"We're going to the mainland and we're taking McKay with us" Ronon said like it was the simplest thing in the world. He could feel his back suddnely straighten as he determented made up is mind.

"Zelenka can fix the malfunctions while I'm gone. I have earned myself a vacation" he told before he turned and walked away to pack. He would rather die then be left behind his only friend left.

---

After Teyla was put down on the bed in her tent ronon walked over to start a fire while Rodney tucked her in. Then he walked over to join the caveman who started to look through the food they had brought. His team was broken in a way and he was going to fix them, grief had a way breaking things. He wouldn't let it take more off his new family away. Not when their closest brother was gone. With another look over at Teyla he once again cursed the effect off losing family.

"Even after all out close calls I never really thought that… he's gone on suicide missions and come back damnit!" he suddenly said where he sat at the table and Ronon just turned to look at him.

"Luck run out McKay"

"I don't believe in luck! It's random chance and coincidences!"

"Then he was good at that" stunned for a moment before he looked around for a moment.

"Why am I on the mainland?" he asked stunned, he hadn't thought about why they went there except for thatw as what Ronon had told him to do.

"Because McKay. We're a team and now we need fixing" Ronon answered, really he thought that answered everything.

"Why couldn't we do that in Atlantis?" he only asked as he sunk back on the bench.

"You'd work yourself crazy, Teyla would pretend nothing is wrong and I'd kill wraith" Ronon said and pushed down a chocolate bar in his hand.

"Right"

---

Chaya was walking though her gardens, gently tending to the pants and flowers around her when there was footsteps behind her. She turned around to see who had approached her home when she saw the man who had captured her interest after so many years. She hurried over, her long white dress dancing around her as she ran and then she threw her arms around his neck.

"Nice to see you to Chaya" he whispered after they broke away and smiled that smile that made her not care about the ascended rules bestrewed upon her.

"John, what are you doing here?" she asked softly as she pulled him deeper into her garden, where they would drink tea. He shrugged softly but she could see the tension and the unusual way he was dressed. The coat looked uncomfortably like a wraiths but otherwise he looked much like he had then.

"My superiors back home sent for me to come home again" he started and found that he couldn't continue right away. After all now he had to explain what he'd done, how he'd changed his whole life forever by a whim. Chaya looked stunned by his words.

"What job would be so grand that they had to pull you away from Atlantis? Have you not done enough for them to let you stay with your family?" she asked, obviously confused by earth military politics and he dropped his head before he answered.

"People don't like me back there Chaya, Nobody ever has. They probably saw a chance to get rid off me and jumped it" he explained and almost jumped when her small hand landed in his shoulder.

"What a cruel world you must come from John, how did you grow up to be so…"  
"Charming?"

"Gentle" she smiled at him and he found himself doing the same. Then her face fell.

"You know I can't allow you to…" he interrupted her before she could finish.

"visit? Of course you can, I won't stay all that long either. I just needed someone for a moment and I really need to come up with a plan on how to do this" he said and gently trapped her face between his hands as he looked into her eyes. After a moment she swatted him away.

"You're dangerous when you do that" she warned him but smiled softly all the same. When he didn't answer it looked like she suddenly had an idea.

"How did you travel through the space gate? You have a ship?" she asked and he looked sheepish he knew.

"I managed to steal a puddle jumper" he said with a small shrug and his boyish smile. She laughed at him and it felt good. He was with someone who wouldn't send him back, questioning his motives other then to find out what happened and who enjoyed his company.

"Then I shall let you stay until it is fit as a home" Chaya finally declared and he was stunned for a moment before he too laughed. As a kid he'd always thought it cool to live on the road, ready to go at the drop off a hat.

---

They both laughed and joked as they pushed the last off the wooden boards he had found/made so far they could go where they lay between the both benched in the rear off the jumper and would successfully be turned into a bed for him. That gave him the front for storage, driving and the back provided bed space and a place to clean his weapons and cook food. But as they both trembled to the floor in laughs and exhausted pants it was probably best to wait with the rest for tomorrow.

"You never told me how you escaped going back to earth" Chaya said suddenly and he turned to his side to look at her instead off the star filled night above them. Thickly he swallowed before he turned back to the sky and answered it.

"In the middle off the way there is a stop, normally I would dial another gate and soon be on earth again but instead I dialed another gate. I decided to head into the town so that I perhaps could trade some food or something. Hiding the jumped I came into town just as the wraith started a culling" Chaya slapped her hand over her mouth with wide eyes.

"How did you escape that?" He couldn't help but to smile at that.

"My brother helped me"

---

He sat in Chaya's garden and looked up at the stars. The ancient woman had pointed out which one was Atlantis and that was the star he watched most. His fingers ran over the soft Atlantis jacket and the patch over his arm and he was lost in his worries and fears. Everyone was fine, he was almost sure but when he thought about all that could possible happened… pulling himself out from his thought he stood and walked over to the jumper. There was still some work that needed to be done but he could do it himself. He had long overstayed Chaya's hospitality even if she was happy to have him.

---

Rodney McKay actually didn't have all that much against living on the main land. He though he would have had, them being primitive and all that but it was surprisingly relaxing. Ronon would sometimes join the hunt so they could have meat, and that left him alone with Teyla. She was by no means fine but she wasn't as…. Heart broken as she had been. At the moment she was cooking some soup and gently moving along the music from his laptop. She sometimes even sang along. He himself was doing what he did best, he talked.

"So this is where you lived before Atlantis? It's surprisingly nice for a tent, not so small either…"

"I am considering moving back here Rodney" Teyla's voice was calm and collected.  
"What? We are here already and …"

"Atlantis is changing Rodney, you know this. It will not be the same and how many times was it not John who saved us single handedly?" the woman trued around and the dress she wore spun around her. He tried to answer but al he did was to open and close his mouth mutely.

"You see? Caldwell is a fine warrior but I do not believe he is right for Atlantis. Elizabeth is the city's brain, keeping everything working and communicating but John was the city's heart"

---

They all sat around a game and Teyla laughed when he lost to Ronon.

"How was I supposed to know that tava beans tastes the best when the skin turns green? On earth that signals bad food!" he exclaimed and sat back to sulk which only made her laugh harder. They were outside and the Athosians was celebrating and the big fire cast long orange light through the tent wall. Suddenly Ronon stood up and looked down at her.

"Dance?" the Sated and asked and Rodney looked between the two off them for a moment. Teyla always danced with Sheppard at least once during this celebration. Of course she had danced with them too but the first dance was always Sheppard's. A sad smile graced her face as she shock her head.

"I am sorry Ronon. Excuse me while I get something to drink" and then she was gone. Halling who had been watched walked over to him since Ronon had shrugged and left.

"Do you know the importance of the leaders choice in their first dance partner at this celebration?" the man asked and after giving the man a odd look Halling continued.

"The ancestors watch over this evening and then take the strength and stability from the leader and her first partner to give to the earth. These two last years Teyla has chosen Colonel Sheppard and our crops has been grater then ever" the man explained and he could only phantom the look on his face.

"But Teyla hasn't danced with anyone tonight!" he protested.

"As always before Atlantis" Halling gave a sad smile before he walked away. Across the fire he could see other men ask for Teyla's approval but all received polite refusals. He watched her for a moment before he walked over to her.

"Teyla, why does tava beans turn green?" he asked and saw the amused sparkle flare up in her eyes as around her the men disappeared.

"Well Rodney…"

---

John sat quietly at the fire in the middle off the city as the villagers around him had their own party to celebrate the harvest. He guessed he should be happy, he'd been working with them for a week after all and farming was a hash job sometimes. He looked up from the flames when Gada appeared in front off him. Her blonde hair looking golden in the firelight.

"Dance with me?" she asked and for a moment he was brought back in time to when the team had been with Teyla's people to celebrate their harvest. How beautiful she had been and the dance they had shared. Trying to shake the memories away he stood up and smiled.

"My honor, dearest lady"

---

Another week later he'd been at a ice planet where he'd found a ancient outpost. The place had been full off things and small weapons he'd managed to snatch and pack down and now the jumper was almost full with things. He'd have to go back to Chaya to see what everything was before he left it for a Atlantis team to find. Just as John was about to head back with the last bag off things there was a strange sound behind him. Quickly he spun around and pointed his P-90 at the source, not knowing what the hell it could be, when he saw what it was. It was a stasis chamber opening and a little girl falling out off it. Before he could think he ran over and gently took her in his arms. Her hazel eyes opened and stared at him in fright at the same time as her small hands grabbed his jacket.

"Hi there" he said but she didn't speak. He could feel her shiver in the icy cold and he hurried to open his jacket and pull her inside while she still had her grip on him. Those tiny cold hands moved then to grip his t-shirt instead. Looking around he saw all the other stasis chambers were empty.

"They left you here all alone?" he asked her and thought he felt a small nod against his neck. Hearing a crack somewhere he decided it was better to solve this elsewhere. He gathered her closer to himself and started to run to the jumper.

---

Lorne and his team was on the way back to the jumper after a unsuccessful trading trip when they found the strangest thing. Just a few feet from their cloaked Jumper was a big box wrapped up munch like a present. From what he knew no one in Pegasus Galaxy knew about the concept so carefully he walked closer, side arm pointed at it at all times, until he saw a small card.

_Congratulations and Celebration, sincerely J. Kirk_

He couldn't fight the chuckle as he carefully let the weapon drop.

"Okay gentlemen, there was no note on this when we found it" he said and around him his guys nodded as they read the note.

"Of course Sir!" they answered and after thinking for moment he pulled off the cloth wrapping to expose the wooden chest inside.

"Anderson open it" he opened and showed off the insides. The whole chest was full off ancient devices and things.

"McKay's gonna love this"

---

Standing in the shadows he watched Lorne and his team pick up his third gift to them and drag in into their jumper. In his arms the little girl he'd found four days ago moved in her sleep and cuddled closer to his chest. For all that time she hadn't let him out off her sight once so he'd been forced to bring her. Not that she was any trouble, no she was extremely good at doing as she was told. He couldn't force the smile away as he hugged her gently before he turned and stepped back inside their cloaked home. Megan, as he'd decided to call her, didn't fight him putting her on the bed of furs and blankets he'd traded successfully. Humming as he moved around, getting ready for bed himself, he couldn't help but feeling hope for the future. He couldn't leave Megan alone anywhere and it really wasn't much more trouble to have her with him.

---

**Was it still confusing? Please tell me**


	2. Chapter 2

here's another chapter^^ Hopefully you'll enjoy it

**SGA 3**

Another few weeks passed and the situation on Atlantis didn't seem to ease up. The population was still down cast and all the off world missions had seemed to come to a halt in their success. But it was strange that on said missions sometimes big boxes off devices and things would be found. It had taken a while but then the rumors off the notes finally spread around like fire. This James Kirk was doing them a great favor off collecting these things and leaving them for their people to find. There was also the rumor about James Kirk being John Sheppard, it was McKay's favorite nickname for the man after all. Caldwell had thankfully not heard the rumors yet, being to busy polishing his uniform pins in his room. They also had gotten word from the mainland that their team would be coming home.

"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked Zelenka who shrugged.

"I have no idea. I guess it depends on how things went on the mainland" the man answered and looked as torn as she felt. The malfunctions had grown worse since McKay had left and the boxes off devises that kept turning up lay almost untouched, some not even brought down to the labs yet! But with all the malfunctions she had for a moment thought she'd have to switch off the ZPM. Easy to say it wouldn't be a happy McKay that entered the city.

**SGA SGA SGA**

Lorne was having lunch with some off the marines (they were actually discussing James Kirk) when SGA-1 (minus Lt. Smith) suddenly sat down with them

"Where did you find all those boxes Major?" McKay asked quickly and he couldn't help a half smile.

"They are being left for us to find McKay, we're only the delivery service" he answered and the other marines laughed at his words. The scientist however looked terrified.

"But what if they are bombs from the Genii? Transmitters from the wraith?"

"I'm sure he checked it before he left them Doctor" a marine tried to reassure him and it took barely a moment for the Canadian to catch it.

"Him? Who left it? What are you taking about?" With a quick look around Lorne pulled up The notes found with the boxes and laid them plainly on the table.

_Congratulations and Celebration, sincerely J. Kirk  
Thought if could be useful, Sincerely J. Kirk  
Make sure he don't wear himself out, Sincerely J. Kirk  
Happy Hunting, Sincerely J. Kirk_

"J. Kirk…" McKay whispered before he suddenly ripped out a empty power bar paper and laid next to the notes.

_Eat, McKay_

"Where'd you find this?" Lorne asked softly as he looked over the power bar paper. Every vest had those, It was standard military and the pen which had written all messages seemed to be the standard marker pen.

"Someone threw it in his head" Ronon informed with a slight smile and the scientist glared at the man. Lorne joined the other marines who laughed loudly.

"So you also think it is…"

"You know anyone else who'd do…" McKay stopped talking however when Caldwell walked into the mess hall. The man made his way over to them and Teyla quickly collected the notes which was hidden away down in her blouse.

"Hello. How's the food?" the man asked as he sat down at the end off the table. Lt. Casey answered politely while the conversation steered back somewhat to what they had talked about.

"So, McKay how did you get signed up for this place?" he asked as he took a spoonful of his blue Jell-O.

"Hello! Genius, and personally I think Carter sent me away. Probably couldn't stand being second best" the man started and around him laughter broke out.

"What?! It's true!"

"Sure it is McKay" Ronon said and McKay hmph'ed before he turned back to his food.

"All I knew if that I was transferred here" he supplied simply with a smile and Lt. Hawkins laughed.

"That's how most off us got here I guess. It's not like we all could have Weir running after us" he said and most of them turned to him with questioning eyes.

"I thought everyone had heard how Sheppard was recruited"

"No! Come on! Tell!" filled the air around the table as Hawkins smiled. Lorne rolled his eyes at the men. Gossiping again. But watched, amused non the less, as Hawkins leaned forewords, like it was a secret.

"I heard Dr Weir had some trouble. So when he didn't agree, she sent general O'Neil after him " Hawkins whispered loud enough for them all to hear.

"Well the colonel told me himself he let a coin decide for him" Casey argued back and McKay laughed.

"Well of course he did, it was just our dumb luck General O'Neil liked the Flyboy" The scientist smirked before he suddenly tapped the radio at his ear. Everyone quieted down out off respect.

"Yes?… They what?… well of course it won't work, are they stupid?!…. Fine" then McKay stood up and rolled his eyes before he left without a single word. Ronon chuckled before he turned back to his food.

**SGA SGA SGA**

Megan was sitting at the edge off the ice hole he was hacking his way down in and played with the doll he had managed to get for her. Since he had found her, she had become less dependent on holding onto him and could now play on her own even through she still sometimes would look up harshly after him as if he'd left her. He had managed to get a job at the planet where he'd found her, the villagers was for some reason thinking that if they hacked their way deep enough into the core of the planet they could live there, where it was warmer. He had kept his wise ass comments to himself and agreed to help them (they had allowed him to raid the ancient outpost after all) for as long as he and Megan could live in their jumped close to the village and have close to the tavern. After wiping sweat from his forehead he filled a bucket with the ice to climb up with it. Soon Megan was there holding out her hand for the bucket.

"Thanks Kiddo, you cold?" he said and took a moment to check her big winter coat was closed enough. He himself only had the wraith jacket Todd had given him but not once since he had gotten it had it been to cold or to warm to wear it. Megan smiled brightly up at him and chock her head so her red brown curls flew in the air. It was unfortunate but she still hadn't spoken a word, Chaya thought it was the chock or the change.

"Good, when you get up there, can you light the lamp? You remember how to do that?" he asked and chuckled by the McKay like look she gave him with those hazel eyes.

"Good girl, and don't slip!" he called after her as she started to climb up the ice wall. Sparing the girl a last look he turned back to the work he was doing.

**SGA SGA SGA**

She lay on the floor under the bed and changed cloths on her doll, Kiara when there was a polite knock on the wooden boards above her head. Then the fur hanging over the opening was pulled away and her new daddy's head became visible.

"Hey Meg, how about we go to _the Iceberg_ and get some dinner huh?" he asked and she nodded before she started to crawl out. When she was out her Daddy smiled at her brightly.

"Why don't you tell me how is it possible to get so dirty on a ice planet?" he schooled but didn't loose the smile so she just smiled back before she answered him.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a secret anymore" Megan just watched how his face changed for a second until he was on his knee looking into her face.

"You said something…" But she just smiled at him again.

"Can I have that white-bear stew? Pleeeeeeease Daddy? I'm tired of fish!" she asked and for a moment everything was still until he suddenly hugged her and swung her around in the air and she giggled uncontrolled by the happiness her dad showed.

"Of course you are, I used to hate fish when I was your age… how about we visit Chaya and have some dinner there huh?" he asked and she nodded happily. A moment later she was dressed in a clean, light dress for the warm weather on Chaya's planet as her father sat at the controls and steered them to the gate, singing as he did so.

**SGA SGA SGA**

Elizabeth sat down the smoking cup on her desk carefully so she wouldn't spill anything before she started to hunt in the boxes after the vanilla her previous second in command had left her. She was almost out but it would last until the _Deadalus_ came next week. It had too. Through the large windows she saw Caldwell who had hung over Chuck's shoulder turned to talk to someone. Unfortunately both of them turned through wards the console McKay was working on and where Teyla stood and talked with her friend. Sighing she walked out to stop any argument that might accrue, leaving her coffee for now.

"I am sure the doctor is trying his best to…" Teyla was arguing while Caldwell crossed his arms and looked at her like she was wasting his time. Elizabeth had just opened her mouth to ask what all was about when the gate started to spin.

"Unscheduled off world activation!" Chuck's voice echoed and both her and Caldwell moved so they got a better view.

"Close he Iris" she ordered just as the wormhole swooshed into life.

"Are there any teams off world?" she asked even though she couldn't remember anyone being out.

"No"

"Receiving Lt. Smith's identification code" They looked at each other.

"But we aren't off world obviously…" McKay's voice stated from behind them and she half turned to answer when Caldwell told Chuck to open the iris. A moment later something was thrown through the gate and they all lost consciousness.

**SGA SGA SGA**

John sat and watched how Chaya, his only ally and friend in this galaxy who he could relay on at this moment, thatched his wonderful adopted daughter how to dance some strange dance. Megan's laughter was like music in his ears and like most off the times since he'd taken her in he feet at ease with his life. Atlantis was obviously fine without him and he doubted either Elizabeth or Caldwell would let the city fall without one hell ova fight. His team would have gotten a replacement for him or McKay would finally have enough time in his labs since he wasn't there to annoy him. Teyla and Ronon was most likely training the marines as usual, God he missed watching that! But he would be fine as it was. Megan and him would continue to move around, him working where he could and the Jumper was safe from the wraith sensors so hopefully they could escape any cullings. And then of course he knew Chaya would watch over her as well. He was pulled from his plans by said daughter appeared in front off him suddenly only to kiss his cheek.

"You'll get wrinkles" was the only thing she said before she danced away. Smiling wider he rolled his eyes at her. However the smile soon faltered as Chaya fell to her knees and held a hand to her forehead.

"What is it?" he asked as he dropped down beside her and she looked up with her dark eyes looking torn.

"What?" he asked again and could feel dread filling him. It couldn't be…

"You should go John, your family will need you" she said and he could feel his heart break. A desperate look turned to Megan who looked confused and lost.

"I'll protect her until it's safe" the ancient woman promised and he nodded his agreement.

"Daddy?" Megan's voice was broken and the unshed tears was clear in her eyes. Gently he fell on his knees and pulled her into a hug.

"Meg, darling, daddy has to help Atlantis" he spoke softly in her ear and could feel the sobs rocking her body and the tears fall onto his shoulder.  
"I don't want to be put away again!" At first he didn't understand but when he did he gently pulled her away so he could look her straight in the eyes.

"I will never put you in a stasis chamber unless it's absolutely necessary! When I'm gone you'll be with Chaya, not put away" he promised and tried to brush the tears away with his thumb.

"you.. You… you _promise?!"_ the little girl asked and he nodded.

"I promise Sunshine. Look I'll even let you hold onto these for me" he said and hung his dog tags around her thin neck. It was the first time in almost 12 years he'd taken them off now. Megan gripped the metal hard in her hand before she nodded and tried to brush away her tears.

"I'll be brave for you Daddy, hurry back" He kissed her forehead one last time before he swept her up and handed her to Chaya who took the five year old into her arms.

"Yes Ma'am" he promised yet again before he saluted her and ran.

**SGA SGA SGA**

Since he had no memory of going to bed and the needles and pins feeling of a wraith stunner was missing he held back a groan and tried to lay completely still. Something was obviously wrong (he'd woken up in enough situation to know the feeling) and he'd much rather know who had captured them this time before they knew he was awake.

"There is no need in pretending Dr. McKay" a familiar voice said and he couldn't keep his eyes closed for a second more. Staring down into his face was no one else but Kolya himself.

"Kolya!" he whispered as he somehow managed to come to his feet. Around him he saw everyone else was bound with their hands behind their back (some even tied together) and their feet laid out before them.

"Sharp as always Doctor. I was hoping you could confirm a few things for me" the bastard told and moved away to sit in a chair at the controls. Elizabeth sat gagged against the wall together with Caldwell and some technicians.

"And what makes you think I'll confirm anything for you?" he asked, hopefully sounding more like Sheppard then he did. Kolya actually laughed.

"Because, Dr McKay if you don't I'll be forced to torture you until you do" the man said as simple as if he was discussing the weather. Swallowing around the lump in his throat he raised his chin slightly.

"It may not be the conformation you want" he said and Kolya's smile widened as he leaned forewords in his chair.

"Is Sheppard here in the city?" surprised by the question he jumped slightly.

"No. No he's not." It took a few moments, as Kolya stared him up.

"Is he dead?" was the next question. He could feel the tears fill up his eyes against his will, but he answered with a safe stabile voice.

"Yes, he most likely are" But then he felt immediate anger well up in him and he used it to stare right into the devils eyes.

"We _will_ kill you for what you did to him!" he all but shouted and it seemed to take Kolya by surprise for a moment.

"We'll see about that Doctor, we'll see" Again he spared a look around. No one had a scratch on them (except a few bruises, he noticed) and it looked like it only was the ones in the control room and gate room that had been affected. Which was slightly bad since they could have used Ronon and all his knifes right about now. It was rather unlikely that he himself was going to escape anytime soon. That was when the stargate lit up for the second time.

**SGA SGA SGA**

As the Puddle Jumped came closer and closer to the gate he cloaked it and turned to the small device Chaya had advised him to keep when he packed the chests for Atlantis to find. She said it would take down the iris so he could pass through into the city without the security codes. He had agreed that that was a good idea since his codes most likely had been locked out and if the city had been compromised… well people wanted him dead didn't they? Pushing the button he watched how it lit up much like the stargate would and then he was in the gate. As he came through and the auto pilot started (thank God he was invisible) and gave him a moment to see what had happened. Kolya and other Genii soldiers had taken the control room. Snaring as the jumped passed through the ceiling he wondered what the quickest way to secure everyone in the expedition was. The Jumper had barely parked when the quarantine signal echoed through the city.

**SGA SGA SGA**

When the ceiling door to the Jumper bay opened and a moment later the quarantine started, McKay didn't know what to think. Was this impossibly great since it locked away all the Genii and that the ceiling hatch had been another malfunction or was there a new player there who had made the city go into lockdown because they carried another freaky Pegasus bacteria? Kolya seemed to go for something in-between.

"McKay, You will tell wheat is going on or I'll be forced to shoot this man" and then the man pointed his gun at Chuck who stared wide eyed at it.

"It is the quarantine, I don't know if it's something or another malfunction" he said in his usual 'I-don't-have-time-for-this' tone and started to walk over to the console when suddenly the gun was pointed at his head.

"Oh please, we both know that I'm the only one smart enough to figure out what happened and that you want to know what happened so the faster you take that thing out off my face the faster I'll know" the scientist said and crossed his arms over his chest in a move that made him look like a 'nanananana-you-can't-kill-me' pose. Kolya only raised an eye brow before he actually did remove the gun.

"How Sheppard put up with you I will never understand" and then the Genii leader turned to walk away. He did a face at the man's back but then went back to the controls and got to work. Suddenly there seemed to be a shift in the whole city and felt stunned and amazed at the same time.

**SGA SGA SGA**

Ronon and Lorne had just sat down in the full mess hall after a sparring season when the door sealed shut.  
"Think it's another malfunction?" he asked while Lorne radioed the control tower without getting an answer. Both off them sharing a look they looked around in the room. Most of the other persons in the room was acting as if there wasn't a quarantine, most likely due to all the malfunctions that had been going on for weeks on an end.  
"Maybe, there's nothing we can do from in here anyway" Lorne answered and started to eat on his food. Ronon narrowed his eyes before he did the same.

**SGA SGA SGA**

After strapping on the standard gear and bunkering up on all the weapons he thought would be needed (a few knifes, two 9 mm, his side arm and a few other ancient surprises he'd kept for himself) he took a look at the LSD. There was probably about a hundred life signs in the mess hall and another hundred in the control tower, here and there, scattered around in labs and infirmary was probably another fifty life signs.

"hmm, evacuate the labs or make them scatter?" he whispered to himself before he laughed at himself.

"Great thinking John, locking yourself in a quarantine" before he had managed to figure out what to do he saw on the LSD how the quarantine on the control tower was over ridden and five life signs moving to the jumper bay.

"Great McKay, would it kill you fail just once?" he muttered as he took off in a jog up higher to where he could get a good aim at the intruders. Within five minutes the door opened and the first one stepped inside. He let them all move in as he remained shadows, listening closely. After a rather narrow search of the ground (they didn't even seem to think he'd have moved up along the walls) one off them picked up a radio and reported in. Carefully he moved forwards and took aim.

**SGA SGA SGA**

Caldwell watched how McKay broke the quarantine with a scowl and then watched how five of the Genii ran out the room. McKay was then pushed down together with them again and the scientist huffed at them before he removed the cloth from Dr. Weir's mouth.

"What did you do Rodney?" she immediately asked and he felt a deep satisfaction at watching the 'genius' trying to explain his actions like a son to his mother.

"I only removed the quarantine here in the main tower so the only thing we should worry about is Kolya" the man said as he turned to remove the cloth from Teyla's mouth.

"Rodney, what was that thing with the gate and the Jumper bay hatch? You don't think…?"

"yes, yes, who else would it be? You know how he is…" McKay spoke in hushed voices and he managed to smack the man over his hand with his legs so he got his attention.

"Ow! I might need that to save your life! Then wouldn't you wish you didn't do that?!" McKay hissed angrily as he rubbed his hand and glared at him.

"I think the Colonel wishes you to remove his silencer as well" Teyla spoke and it took a moment for him to do so.

"huh if I know you military idiots right you'll just piss him off if you speak… and promise things I can't do" he muttered as he did pull out the cloth.

"Kolya! I'm Colonel Caldwell, military commander off Atlantis. Is there anything we can offer you for the safety off our people?" he spoke and ignored McKay who groaned and hid his face in his hands. Kolya just turned around and watched him for a moment.

"So you're the man who replaced Sheppard" the Genii leader finally said and he could feel himself straighten up slightly, not liking being compared by their enemy.

"It must be hard to fill such enormous shoes. All that responsibility. I actually thought you'd be younger" and with those words Kolya turned back to what he had been doing. The stunned feeling slowly passed and he tried again.

"There must be something you'd want in exchange!"

"New Colonel, why would I need to trade with my prisoners when I already have their whole city and supplies? No, I'd much rather start killing anyone who might be considered a threat to me…" the man stopped talking when his radio suddenly sparked before a voice spoke.

_"Commander, there is no one here. Awaiting your next orders_"

**SGA SGA SGA**

_"You can start searching the corridors, anyone you encounter, you kill. Understood?" _Kolya's voice cracked through the radio and he forced himself to stay grounded and not shoot them yet. To wait for the right moment.

"Yes Commander."

Ah, there it was. Swiftly and without giving them a chance to get away he shot all off them in the head, killing them instantly. When he was sure they were all really dead, he climbed down the stairs and started to drag them into a jumper. He took their radio and then we went through their pockets and found nothing of great value. Wondering momentarily if he should drop them in the ocean, the ceiling opened and showed him the evening sky. Smiling softly he whispered for himself;

"It was worth it, if only to see the sky again" but then he ducked into the shadows again and disappeared. If he knew Kolya right, the man wouldn't be bothered about these people for another hour or so and that would give him enough time to perhaps ensure the safety off the other people before he took on the ones in the control room. John took off in a run through wards the doors that lead to the labs but it looked like the doors wouldn't open, not even for him. He cursed darkly as everybody else was on the other side of the quarantine.

"How big a chance is it that it will stop Kolya as well?" he asked the empty air and it actually was as if the city brushed past him.

"Didn't think so" he whispered and them turned slightly. There was a door panel which hung open slightly, showing a small staircase to the ventilation shaft. Smiling at the city's antics (he had forgotten how an awesome city Atlantis was to live in if you had the gene) he hurried to lighten a flashlight before he crawled inside and closed the door firmly behind himself.

**SGA SGA SGA**

"Tell me about these malfunctions Dr. McKay" Kolya suddenly demanded and he jumped slightly at the unexpected sound.

"Ow! Damnit, you made me break a nail!" he complained as he crawled out from under the console he'd gained 'permission' to work on. Kolya only raised another eye brow as he smiled his polite 'I'm-going-too-kill-you-when-you-have-no-value-to-me-anymore' smile and waited for him to answer.

"They have been going on for weeks, doors and windows opening and closing randomly. Hot water turning ice cold in an instant. Lights going out or lightning up and even power shutting down. It's been a nightmare, really if you look after another home you should stay in your radioactive bunkers. At least you know the problems there, huh?" he babbled as he laid down to make his way in under the console again.

"Conveniently you just bought yourself extended lifetime Dr. McKay. But I must say I'd be very disappointed if something happened that you couldn't fix" the barrel of a gun pressed against his leg and he froze for a moment. Gunshots hurt and made it really hard to think so he didn't exactly need one now!

"Whatever! But if you want this fixed I suggest you leave me alone or maybe I'll accidentally blow us all up!" he half shouted the last part and huffed about 'trigger happy gun men' when the barrel left his leg.

"Don't insult my intelligence Doctor, both you and I know you'd rather live" He couldn't help the snort.

"yeah , cause I'd have such a great life as a hostage and slave" Kolya only laughed and left him alone for now.

**SGA SGA SGA**

He crawled forwards easily in the thin ventilation shafts and he almost thought he'd gotten lost a few times when he swore he could hear whispers echo in the small space. Holding any thoughts he may have had about insanity to himself he decided to go for it and followed them (he'd probably die anyway, so what was an insane death?) but as he started to think he actually might have been insane he could hear voices from the ventilation panel in the floor of the shaft.

"I'm sure it's just another malfunction Jezebel, nothing to worry about" Zelenka's voice said and then there was a woman's voice who answered.

"But what if it isn't Zelenka? What if there is another one of those viruses and we spread it by lifting the quarantine?!" she argued and now he was close enough to look down at them. Zelenka was standing almost directly under him with the woman, Dr. Jezebel, standing opposite him. Around the room there was three other scientists who seemed to concerned in their work to be bothered with the others.

"Well we don't know since no one in the control room has reported anything, now have they?" Zelenka argued back. Ignoring them he pulled out a small notebook he had in his pocket and wrote down that there was five scientists in this lab. If he now could secure how many others was in the other labs it would be easier to plant an attack on Kolya's men. As quietly as he'd come, he crawled away.

**SGA SGA SGA**

"Dr McKay, turn the life signs on" the cold voice demanded and Elizabeth closed her eyes so she wouldn't have too see the how many that was trapped in the corridors, awaiting Kolya's men as their executioner.

"Good. Marduke! Take a team and set a base here" her eyes snapped open and saw Kolya pointing out the east tower to another, younger man. The younger man, Marduke, nodded and shouted out orders that had probably fifteen men moving around in preparations. Within a moment they had all taken their weapons and walked out from the room.

"Kolya what are you gaining by keeping us alive? You already know our people won't negotiate with you" she said finally and the man turned to her in time to miss the fact that Rodney sat up and put his coffee cup on the city wide speaker button.

"I know that you don't negotiate with people like me over the life of one man, who obviously didn't mean anything to the city anyway Dr. Weir but I do hope that by keeping all off you here your other people won't give us much resistance when we… send you away"

"We still won't give in to your commands Kolya, not even if you kill us" she promised and Kolya looked pissed off at her words.

"I think perhaps you need a little reminder off what I'm capable off Doctor" he spat before he turned around and pushed a few commandos at a computer. Somehow he had found what he'd been looking for because a moment later the nightmarish video feed started to play on the screen, unknowingly to Kolya it also showed everywhere there was a screen since it was city wide. John's covered up screams echoed in her head and in the speakers as the wraith on the tape started to feed.

**SGA SGA SGA**

Ronon's head snapped up and his eyes narrowed dangerously as a voice he'd memorized echoed through the speakers in the mess hall. Carelessly he threw the cup in his hand away and rushed at the door, hammering and trying to get it open.

"Guess the quarantine wasn't a malfunction then" he heard Lorne say as the younger man stood up and called attention to himself. The Satedan only growled dangerously as his commander and friend's last request rang in his head.

**SGA SGA SGA**

Zelenka turned to Jezebel who was opening and closing her mouth like a fish.

"I'd say there isn't a bacteria causing this, can we please figure out a way to direct the security cameras images here instead of the control tower?" he asked tiredly before he turned back to his computer. No wonder McKay screamed at them all the time.

**SGA SGA SGA**

"damn genii, damn Kolya, damn ventilation shafts… damn I sound like John McClane. McKay's gonna love this!" he muttered as he stooped for a moment to catch his breath and look over the LSD.

"Why are you all going to the east tower?" he whispered and narrowed his eyes before he sneezed at all the dust.

"If they can get that far away it means McKay unlocked the quarantine on the corridors… and they know the way to the armory… I _hate_ Mondays" and with that he turned around until he found the right way to the armory.

**SGA SGA SGA**

_"We're here Sir_" Marduke's voice cracked through the radio Kolya had sat down on the main computer and the man snatched it up.

"Good, Secure it and make sure no one can escape. It will become a good enough holding place for our new… Slaves, you called it McKay?" the man asked and he feet his breath caught in his throat. If he hadn't hated this man before (which he had, thank you very much) he surely would have started now. They had been threatened and taken to be sold as slaves before but then Sheppard or Ronon had somehow saved them. Now Ronon was somewhere else, most likely killed on sight while he was here with Teyla who was tied up.

"Kolya, if you know what's good for you, you'll take your men and leave" Caldwell started but Kolya only laughed at him.

"New Colonel, it seems you don't know the rules of this galaxy as well as you think"

**SGA SGA SGA**

So what do you think? Tell me?


	3. Chapter 3

Here I am agiain. Sorry for my horrible spelling but I'm working on it and am probobly going to fix chapter one

___

John fell out from the ventilation shaft he'd just crawled out off and crawled along the floor to the edge off the balcony. Carefully he pulled up the gun and looked through the sight at the people in the east tower. He had a prefect vision and he smiled as he saw the Genii uniforms walk past the window clearly. He pulled back and pulled asked Atlantis gently to open all the windows in the east tower. Soon he heard the swooshing sound as they opened in the other tower and then the reports from the Genii soldiers came rolling in from the communication device he'd stolen from one Genii soldier. He almost chuckled at the panicked voice of the Genii soldiers, but of course he didn't. The sound would carry to the other tower eas

_"We have found evidence that the city has experienced malfunctions but stay clear from the windows anyway" _Kolya ordered them and he clenched his teeth at the man before he came to terms with what he had said. The scientists had spoken off malfunctions too, what the hell was going on? He'd have to pop in on McKay and ask him before he did anything else. But for now he'd bide his time and checking over the LSD, trying to guess which men was in the mess hall.

___

Kolya had walked down into the gate room and left them with only a handful off guards up there and Teyla was confident that if she only could get lose she'd manage to take out at least three. Rodney could hopefully take care off one and they could force the other Genii into retreat. Finally feeling the bounds on her hands give after working on them since she woke up. She sent a look to Rodney who caught it after a moment and looked somewhere between annoyed and terrified at what would happened. She sent him a thin smile just as one of the guards walked past her. Without giving him a warning she twisted to the side and threw his legs away from under him. At the corner of her eye she saw Rodney throw himself at another one's legs and trying to take the gun. Without regret she herself managed to take both his knife and gun. Quickly she slit his throat and slid the knife along to Elizabeth as she started to shot the other guards. Teyla had just moved to the edge and started aiming at the men running up the stairs when Caldwell and a few other soldiers appeared at her side. They heard Kolya call for his men to leave and move to the east tower. A second later the doors shut behind them and they reluctantly lowered their stolen guns

"I _hate_ Mondays!" Rodney exclaimed behind her and she couldn't help but to laugh when she saw that he had slipped on the cold coffee that had fallen down from the console.

___

It had been about 40 minutes when John looked up (having a good guess at who was having a long dinner) and saw that the Genii soldiers in the east tower clearly thought the windows had been a malfunction. Rolling his eyes at them he set up the P-90 again and then when he had a clear shoot he took it. The soldier fell after a perfect shoot to the head and the other soldiers in the room fell to the ground as they looked around tying to guess which window the attack had come from. Seeing another man open he took him and then three other men down before he realised he'd need to relocate to another tower to get another shot. He listened at the panicked reports and call for backups as he ran too the transporter and soon found himself in the lower levels off the city but in another tower. There he had a clear view at the people running in the staircase up through wards the room he'd just laid under fire. It was a good plan since they'd taken fire from the other side off the building. It was bad however since he now was here and all the windows still was open. It took him about 7 minutes tops to get all 12 off them. Then it took about one minute to take his things and get into the transporter again. When he found a secure hiding place (strategic concealment, thank you very much) he took out his notebook and wrote the number of Genii soldiers he'd just shoot. At the top he had written down the number off Genii soldiers he'd counted when they'd entered the city. Kolya really must like the number 60. Of course there was only about 40 something soldiers left now, but still. He picked up the LSD again to see what he would do. He was slightly worried about those malfunctions Kolya had mentioned, what if he managed to blow the city up when he tried to save it? McKay would have his head for sure. So where was that little ego-central scientist he'd forced himself to put up with for all these years anyway? Biting his lips his hand swayed over the device sitting around his ear. There was still around 40 soldiers left and if Kolya heard he was here he'd sent them all at once for sure. Of course John could always check the most probable places McKay could be at and then bribe the people in there not to tell on him. And if he ran into enemies on the way...

___

On the LSD they could see Kolya's group moving from the control tower through wards the east tower but before they could draw a breath of relaxing even for a moment the quarantine was shutting them in, again.

"It can't relay… it must be…" McKay groaned and then he disappeared in under the console again.

"Rodney, what is going on?!" Elizabeth demanded from the scientist who didn't come out from his (hiding?) place under the console.

"Well from what I can tell, there's nothing wrong with the systems this time and there is certainly no bacteria or virus running amuck. What we though was a malfunction before with the gate _could,_ and I mean _could _in a possibility that I have no idea how he did it, but somehow, I guess our own John McClane came through the closed iris" Rodney called out and they all stared at him open mouthed for a moment.

"Where is all our people Doctor?" Caldwell asked and got a glare from the Canadian.

"Do I look like a fortune teller? Most probably most of them is having dinner…God that sound good"

"Colonel! I think you better watch this!" Elizabeth said and they all turned to watch the LSD on the wall again. Life signs were moving rapidly and disappearing in the east tower.

"Deja vú anyone?" McKay asked from under the console and he actually thought he saw Elizabeth pale.

"Are you saying it's…?" she voice asked and he rolled his eyes.

"Who else would it be? Now shut up and let's see if…" on the screen Kolya's groups had now come to the empty east tower. Of course it was only empty of life signs, it was most likely full off bodies.

___

As most off his men could tell you, Kolya had quite a temper. He could be cold against death and disliked defeat like the plague. So when they all entered the east tower and saw all their men laying dead in the staircase and he screamed in rage, they all backed away and tried to make themselves small and insignificant. After screaming, he grabbed one of them who hadn't been able to get away fast enough.

"Go to their armory and bring back as many weapons as you can. We will kill the bastard who did this to us!"

___

_"New Colonel! I do not know how you did it but I am not amused_" Kolya's voice cracked from the radio the man had left behind in the control room.

"What are you referring too Kolya?" Dr. Weir asked before he had a chance to stop her.

_"__I refer too the stunt in the Tower, I talk about the merciless slaughter off 17 off my men_!" Kolya screamed at them and he remained calm, as well as Dr. Weir. He was impressed.

"I guess you won't believe us if we say it wasn't us?" Dr. Weir said and he though he saw the ghost of a smile across her face.

"_Of course I won't believe you Dr. Weir_" Kolya snapped at them.

"You must have a traitor among your men. We could impossibly gathered an attack that soon" He spoke through the radio back to the Genii who started laughing.

"_There is no need to pretend New Colonel. In this city there is only you and us and for such a successful attack there__'__s a need for several men, not just one traitor.__"  
_"What about those men you sent to the jumper bay?" Teyla asked.

"_Of course you realize that now I'll be forced to respond to this_" Kolya ignored the last question before he was gone. Immediately he started looking for the radios so he could try and figure out who had lead the mystery attack as well as who'd Kolya would kill because off it.

___

When he'd been in the armory he'd taken an radio and put in his ear. Therefore he now knew that they weren't hostages, they had killed nine Genii (it was on his list in a parentheses) and that now Kolya was going to kill someone because off it.

"Even the bast laid plans backfire sometimes, Buddy" he whispered to himself as he checked the walls for the marks he had left so he'd find his way back. Zelenka's group off scientists was the ones closest to the east tower. He'd bet a years salary (that he didn't get anymore) that those were the targets Kolya would find first. Giving a small "aha!" sound as he found the "Z" scratched on the wall together with an arrow he followed it, hoping he'd be there in time. When he did get there he could already hear the Genii shouting and banging at the door.

"Open this door and no one dies!" Called one off the men on the other side and Jezebel screamed in terror for a moment (thankfully Zelenka silenced her with well placed hand over her mouth) and the banging and shooting on the door continued. Without further thought he pushed the ventilation window open and stuck his head down into the room.

"Need a hand?" he asked and held out a hand for the closest scientists. No one questioned either his appearance, him being in the ceiling or the fact that he was in the city for that matter! Instead everyone hurried over to be helped up and silently moving away so the others could fit.

"You have anything radioactive down there?" he asked hurriedly.

"No, of course not!" Dr. Jezebel exclaimed as he pulled her up and he growled out a "good" before he dropped down one of the ancient toy's he had and started to pull up Zelenka (his arms were going to fall off at any moment he was sure). Finally up, he pushed the ventilation window back the lab door burst open after another brutal attack. They all sat quietly there, listening and holding their breaths as they hoped no one would think too look there. It seemed terrible cliche to hide in the ventilation, but on the other hand, these guys had never seen a action movie. When finally his breath had calmed down slightly and the men downstairs had moved away, John motioned for the group to follow him. There must be military personal in the mess hall where there also was a good chance McKay could be. He looked down at the small timer at his wrist.

"Colonel, we all thought you were dead" Zelenka whispered after a moment and he couldn't figure out weather to smile or groan at them. For the moment he settled on smiling.

"Nah you know me. I like to keep on my feet" but he stole a moment to glance over his shoulder as he crawled.

"But next time maybe you shouldn't follow dead guy's around so trustfully" some of the scientists chuckled nervously and he guessed it was the adrenaline wearing off.

"Why'd you ask if we had anything radioactive down there?" Jezebel asked as they took a turn.

"Just a little present I left them that is… attracted to it" he said and risked a look at the LSD, there was four people in the lab they just had left.

___

It took them a few minutes to find their way up to the mess hall through the tunnels they were in but when they finally did and removed another ventilation window so John could poke his head in he found every P-90 in there aimed at him.

"Whoa, stand own gentlemen. This is way to _Die Hard_ for the Genii" he joked (a little tense but it melted off when the weapons was lowered) and then his eyes scanned the room for the man he was looking for. Instead he found Ronon as he pushed a table under their peep hole.

"Hey Buddy" he called out when the Satedan jumped the table so he would come closer to them.

"Sheppard, what took you so long?"

"I'm here now, ain't I? Anyway I got a few scientists out off a tough spot could you catch them for me?" he asked and motioned over his shoulder. Within a moment he stood there, lifting the scientists down and dropping them so Ronon could catch them. When he finally had let them all down he was sure his arms would fall off for sure.

"Jump Sheppard" Ronon called up and he chuckled for a moment where he sat and gained his strength for a moment. In the distance they could all here a explosion going on.

"That's another four" he said simply and made four more lines in his notebook.

_"This is Caldwell. What happened?"_ Caldwell's voice cracked through his ear and he was just about to answer when Lorne beat him to it.

"Sir, this is Major Lorne. We don't know Sir but in here everyone's safe" His old second in command winked up at him and saluted him before he pointedly turned away. As did all the other military personal. When they turned back a moment later he was gone.

___

As Rodney worked on opening the doors, Elizabeth on locating their people and Caldwell on a way to save the situation, she herself just sat and watched the screen. A moment ago five life signs had disappeared just before four others had gotten into the lab and then, a moment later they had gone to.

"At least Zelenka took them down huh? He probably set something on overload..." Rodney smiled nervously and Teyla could see the hurt in his face. Then the Genii radio sparked alive again.

"_Dr. Weir. You won__'__t hand over the city even if I ask nicely will you_" Kolya asked but it was more off a statement.

"No I won't. What makes you think I'd hand it over now?" Elizabeth demanded and she shared a nod with the woman.

"_Very well then Doctor. Then you give me no choice than to set another, more powerful explosion_" the words from the radio sent dread through all off them and she watched how Elizabeth once turned to Colonel Caldwell, looking for answers or advice.

_"I have hidden the C4 in a place where you will never, I repeat never find it. So I'm quite curious to how you'll try and blow it all up" _came suddenly a new familiar voice from the city's microphones and echoed through the empty corridors. John's voice said and for a moment it was as if she had lost the ability to breath. She could practically see his face as he spoke the words, the calm almost lazy expression even though he had that dangerous playful tone.

"_Ah Colonel? I heard you died? I bet that must be getting old to hear?" _Kolya asked and she played to the ancestors that she'd get too hurt Kolya before someone killed him.

"_McKays__'__ whining will make anyone think about retirement__…"_John's voice echoed again. From under his console McKay let out a "Hey!" but otherwise was quiet.

"_This time I will kill you Sheppard. Be sure off that!__"_Kolya promised and John only laughed.

"_How many times have you said that now? __'__cause for a dead old man, I feel pretty good_" Next to her she saw Caldwell scowl before he pushed down the bottom for the city wide.

"Sheppard you will shut up right now and follow orders!" the man threatened but the two mortal enemies ignored him.

"_the New Colonel don__'__t know the rules of this game we play Sheppard.__"_

"_No I don__'__t suppose he does__"_

"_So shall we begin then?__"_

_"I've all ready started, or haven't you noticed the 26 men missing? Not counting the nine killed in the control tower of course_" There was a silence before Kolya spoke again.

_"You'll lose Sheppard"_

"Yippie-ka-yey" and then the line went quiet. It took a moment but suddenly Rodney and (surprisingly) a few others started to giggle behind their hands.

"Of _course_ he's McClane" then the scientist turned back to his work.

___

"Damn that man!" Kolya screamed and threw a chair across the room. It shattered across the wall satisfying and he took a moment to calk his breathing.

"You twelve, find him and KILL HIM!" he shouted and pointed at a group. They moved away quickly and he sat down in another, less comfortable chair, to plan.

___

Without really knowing how, John Sheppard now found himself in the corridors rather then the thin ventilation shafts. Behind him he could hear the Genii coming and the only thing up head was the lab he'd found Zelenka and the other scientists in. Deciding that they probably wouldn't check the same thing twice he was on his way to slide into the room when he noticed that the door didn't open. Slightly worried he drew his hand over the panel. Still nothing.

"Oh come on! You've been so helpful before!" he almost shouted when McKay's 'helpful' voice spoke in his ear.

_"That would be the quarantine you locked us up in, Colonel Cowboy"_

"Thanks Rodney" he hissed as he turned, seeing three Genii soldiers just turning the corner.

"Hey guys, guess I can't just buy you a beer?" he asked, not really caring that Rodney probably heard most off what would transpire anyway. The three men, all much bigger then him, started to advance on him.

_"Sheppard?"_

"I'll have to get back to you, Mer" was the last thing he said before the fight started. He had managed to get a few good hits and was almost positive he'd broken one off the guy's hand when he suddenly was captured by two off them holding his arms secure at his sides. The third, a highly unattractive man with uneven hair, raised his radio.

"Found him Commander, shall we kill him?" he fighted to calm his harsh breath and looking for a way to get away. It looked like somehow the splint had been puled from a smoke grandee. The one reporting to Kolya was to caught up in his success to notice while the other two couldn't see behind themselves.

"Yes, kill him painfully Kal" came Kolya's voice and the man laughed.

"Of course Commander" Then he used all his strength to push backwards and force his arms up front. The guards, surprised at being pulled forwards instead of back and forth stumbled along enough for him to knock one into the other and get his knife as they all fell into the smoke.

"Hey!" the third one, Kal, shouted before he joined them in the smoke as well. John managed to stab the wrist that held his arm before he spun around with the knife moving in a circle before him. Another shout off pain assured him he'd hit the target and he took that as a good chance to sneak around and fishing up another one of those ancient bombs he'd used before. He was almost down the corridor when a painful stab at his side made him fall to the floor.

"Commander Kolya requested your death" Kal hissed at him from where he steeped out from the smoke, holding his bleeding arm tightly. John himself looked down at his hand that quickly had been covered in blood. Great, Megan would kill him for this. As he looked at his hand he noticed the automatic watch that showed the time left on the bomb.

"Oh oh" he whispered, watching the number closing down on zero.

___

"That's another four" Rodney said simply from where he sat with Chuck and tried to get a visual through the security cameras.

"Wasn't Sheppard one of those four?" Caldwell asked from his side and it took a moment to realize what he had said. Surprised he looked up at the man.

"Wasn't there four Genii?" he asked stupidly and looked over to the screen where there now was no life signs.

"No, we followed one dot being followed by three dots" Teyla said quietly from the side and Rodney spared her one look.

"But, but he can't come back now only to die! He still has Genii to kill!" he exclaimed before he turned back to word even harder on getting a visual in that corridor. A moment later they could all watch the destruction in the corridor. The decorative glass windows to other corridors had shattered, the walls and floor and ceiling had all large black marks coming from somewhere in the middle off the corridor. There also lay pieces off things he guessed used to be human beings. Silently they all watched the screen for a moment.

"Wait! What is that?" Teyla suddenly asked and stood up.

"What?" he snarled and she sent him a look before stepped forwards and pointed at a piece off the floor. Not seeing anything he turned to the computer and zoomed. A moment later they all watched how a panel off the floor moved slightly down wand then, inch by inch was pushed in under another panel by a pair of dirty and bloodied hands. Then a head with hair that defied every gravity law there was in the universe (known and unknown) came up and looked around. Letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding he raised his hand to touch the radio when Sheppard suddenly pushed himself out from the hole he somehow had secured himself in and showed them that his side was drenched in blood.

"Oh God" he heard Elizabeth whisper. They all watched how Sheppard grimaced at the pain, which had both him and Teyla exchange a look, and he wondered how much pain he must be in if he actually showed it before he looked at the LSD.

"Okay, Okay, you can watch the damn thing when you're not bleeding to death!" he suddenly found himself exclaiming and a few of them sent him annoyed looks. Then Chuck suddenly chuckled and they all turned to stare oddly at him. Hah!

"Oh. Hmm, sorry, he was funny" the technician tried to squirm his was out off it as he blushed.

"How'd you know?" Caldwell asked with his arms crossed and his usual disapproving glare set at Sheppard, even through it only was a image.

"My sister is deaf. I had to learn sign language to talk to her so read lips come easy" he explained with a wave off his hands as Sheppard on the screen removed his uniform jacket and lifted his shirt to look at it.

"What did he say?" Teyla asked and he rolled his eyes.

"That Megan was going to kill him since she liked that jacket" Chuck said and Rodney spared a small glance up at Teyla.

"Well of course, what else could he possibly be thinking about when he's dying!" he shouted out after slamming his hands on the console in front off him.

"_Who's dying_?" came Ronon's voice in a growl through the radio and immediately he jumped away from the console.

"No one! Why would anyone be dying?" he asked as he momentarily glared at the city wide button. Damned thing. In his ear Ronon growled.

__

Does it still suck?


	4. Chapter 4

yey^^ last chapter up now^^

___

Finally finished with bandaging the wound up the best that he could, Megan or Chaya could probably stitch it back up later, he threw the jacket back down in the hole that Atlantis had opened to save his life.  
"Thanks, of course you could have warned me that the door was broken…" he said casually as he looked over his surroundings.

"With these three, it makes 38. That leaves 22 plus Kolya. Great. Just great" he muttered as he started to walk down the corridor.

"Another ambush would be good… preferably with less explosives…" he whispered as he walked as fast as he could, looking down he noticed that he was bleeding from his tight as well. He hadn't even noticed.

"No wonder it took so long" he told himself seriously.

___

Running for your life from bullets and pissed off Genii wasn't really something you should do whit a gaping wound in your leg. Truth be told he actually didn't feel the pain in his leg all that much. Or in his side. No he was much more focused on getting out to the balcony facing the west tower then to feel any pain. As the door he was racing for slowly approached he could feel something hitting him in the shoulder. Surprised he stumbled for a moment before he continued to run as fast at he could. The cold night air hit against his face and the moon was all the light there was out there. Jumping to the side as the doors hid him from the Genii and actually climbed up at the wall. He had just crunched down on the list above the door when it opened and the Genii soldiers ran out. No one off them stopped, but everyone ran out on the bridge as one. Unfortunately for them, said bridge had been a programmed hologram. Taking a deep breath to fight away the ebbing pain in his shoulder, he couldn't help but to listen to the screams of the men who fell into the water.

___

"I saw him run that way!" one off the men behind him called as he actually skated around a corner on the old skateboard he'd given Lorne about a week before he'd gotten transferred. Risking a glance back he saw four off them following him just like he'd hoped.

_"Be careful, he may lead you into a trap_" Kolya's voice came from his breast pocket .

"Would I ever?" he asked no one in particular when a moment later his Atlantis radio came alive.

_"You would. What happened to the ones that followed you out on the balcony?" _Elizabeth said just as he took a new turn.

"They decided to go for a swim" he answered in a breath before he reached his destination.

_"What are you planing? They are right behind you !" _McKay almost shouted in his ear as he jumped off the board and ran to a one off the jumpers. Risking a glance up he caught sight off the "empty" parking place where his and Megan's home was. Then he was on his way.

___

"A jumper just left the jumper bay" Chuck informed them and she could feel her heart drop.

"What?!" Rodney called as he suddenly twisted around to stare at the control Chuck sat behind.

"A second jumper just left the jumper bay" Chuck then said.

"How is that possible? John can not fly both off them" she said and laid her bronze colored hand on Rodney's shoulder.

"No, and jumper one is falling! Did he take too much fire or…?" Rodney didn't sound like he even wanted to finish the sentence. They all turned to look out the window as Jumper One hit the water.

_"Commander Kolya, Sheppard was taken down in one of the space ships. He is sinking to the bottom off the ocean as we speak" _a Genii soldier reported on Kolya's radio and Elizabeth turned to throw the cup in her hand against the wall.

_"Good, we will await your return out at the east pier"_ was all Kolya answered. She was going to twist away when she caught sight of something on the screen.

"He planed it." Everyone turned to look at her. Even Caldwell who was at the moment ordering the people in the mess hall.

"Look, now they have to fly all the way around the city to get to the east pier. It is a perfect place for a…" just as she spoke a drone suddenly shot out from the ocean and hit the jumper straight underneath.

"… ambush" Teyla finished simply and they watched how the second jumper, the one with the Genii soldiers, crashed straight down into the water. For a skilled and used flyer the shoot wouldn't even have hit but since no one of the Genii had ever flown before, and their ATA genes probably wasn't strong enough, they had been taken down. They all stood and watched how the first jumper emerged from the water and continued around the city through wards the east pier.

___

He could see Kolya standing there at the edge off the pier already, looking his usual smug self. Not seeing any of the remaining twelve men he decided to make a small honor loop since he'd officially killed himself. Kolya seemed uncontainable happy about it since he laughed and started to slowly clap his hands. Then they all came running like good little dogs. Unable to control himself he tapped the genii radio.

"Hey Kolya, take this" the look on that man's face was worth any off the pain and hardship he'd been through this night. Then he released the drones, set on the genii that came running.

___

As soon as the doors was enough open Ronon had shoot through and ran faster then Lorne and his team could keep up with. When they finally came out on the pier, Ronon was already running back in with someone thrown over his shoulder in a fireman's grip. With Caldwell shouting in their ears they stayed behind and tried to out the bodies out there, the pier itself wasn't badly damaged. When they had done all they through they could Lorne ordered them all inside the jumper and flew them all back to the control tower. There they found military personal cleaning away the bodies, working on the computers and all the usual after a crisis like this. Therefore he guessed that he could find the expedition leader and SGA-1 where they usually was after a crisis like this as well.

"Major! Where did you and your team go when the quarantine broke?" Caldwell was closing up on them with a cup off steaming hot coffee in hand.

"Out on the pier to ensure there was no hostile alive and that Colonel Sheppard did survive. McKay had reported that they would be on the east pier Sir" he answered calmly.

"How come you did all this without informing me right away?!" the man all but shouted at them and this time McKay jumped up from out of nowhere.

"Because it would have been Sheppard's immediate order and the logical thing to do!" McKay screamed at the colonel red faced and with flashing eyes.

"If you haven't noticed McKay I'm NOT Sheppard!!" Caldwell couldn't help shouting back at the scientist. Lorne simply stood there and enjoyed the show with his men.

"And that's what almost got us killed!" the Canadian screamed back. Then he suddenly turned around and away from him.

"Maybe Kolya was right huh? Sheppard's shoes must be _huge_ to try and fill when you're as incompetent as you are. At least he had some common sense"

"Common sense is not all that common, Doctor" he said helpfully and the Canadian only hmm'ed before he walked away. Moment later he came back, took the Colonel's coffee and raced away to the infirmary.

___

"Carson, how is he?" Teyla asked as soon as the doctor came out into the full waiting room.

"We have patched him together and he should be fine. He's wee thin off blood and it looks like the bastards did a number off him but he's going to be fine after a little rest" Beckett promised as he opened the curtain to show a pale John Sheppard lying there with a IV stuck in his hand. After little more then a month off not seeing him it was strange to suddenly have him lying there as he'd spent most off his time in Atlantis. Out off habit she let her hand tail the end off his bed as she walked around it to sit in her usual chair. Even though she hadn't sat in it since he's left if felt exactly the same.

"We do the usual?" Ronon asked from where he stood at the end off the bed and she nodded.

"Yes, yes of course. You didn't happened to bring anything from the mess hall? I never got any dinner and immediate death threat always make me hungry…" and there came Rodney walking with his data pad on one arm and a cup off coffee in the other hand. Ronon raised an eye brow at the scientist who walked past him and sat down in his chair.

"Fine, fine, but don't shoot me again if I go a little crazy because I haven't eaten anything" their scientist complained and crawled up deep into the chair. Behind them Carson moved on to another patient and Elizabeth walked out the door.

"Where do we hide him? Caldwell wanna send him back" Ronon said after a moment. Her heart nearly stopped.

"We can't use his room since all his things are gone and it would be the first place they looked at…" Rodney started.

"Jumper… bay… 13 C" a raspy voice came from the bed and they all turned around as if they'd been hit by a bullet.

"John?" she asked but he had fallen asleep again it seemed. Gently she took his hand and ran her thumb over his knuckles.

"What did he say?"

"Jumper bay, 13 C. Is that not a parking box?"

"yes, yes, yes! Of course. He came in a jumper, he left Atlantis in a jumper, he must have lived in one this whole time! Now parked at place 13, level C" Rodney snapped his fingers as he spoke before he pushed a few commandos.

"Ah look here, empty. What a chocker!" he exclaimed a moment later and showed them the security footage off the jumper bay.

"It must be cloaked" she supplied.

"We'll hide him there until the doc say's he's good to go"

"Of course just let me pack a few things before we do this whole prison break thing…" when both she and Ronon stared at him he gave them an annoyed and slightly nervous glare.

"Well you're both going aren't you? Why do I have to stay, alone, here?" he looked rather like a child at that moment. One that didn't understand the adults decision and wanted to come with them.

"We are going to live in the wild McKay. Not really much computer things that needs to be done" Ronon said and Rodney grimaced at the notion of living in the wild.

"Well you'd probably stick your head down in a unstable reaction of some sort and then wouldn't you think; 'hey, why didn't we bring that smart, handsome, man that always saves our asses?' hmm?"

"We're already bringing Sheppard" Ronon smiled and she couldn't hold back a giggle. Rodney's face fell.

"Of course you can come Rodney. We'll take turns to watch him so the other can pack away some things and perhaps hide them in the jumper before we steal him?" she offered and the scientist lit up immediately.

"Of course, well I'll just be going then" and with that he left them to watch over their friend.

"Well lad, I haven't heard ya laugh like that in a while. The Colonel's cheery presence?" Carson asked as he approached, and it took a moment to control himself again..

"Maybe. He good to go, doc?" he asked and Carson turned to look at him with narrowed eyebrows.

"Not planing another escape again, are ya?" he only smiled at the good doctor who let out a deep breath.

"Fine, he's good to go. But I want to check on him again in three hours" then Carson turned and left without looking back at them.

___

The control tower was back to it's usual frenzy off work and personal rushing through and around. Elizabeth herself only sat behind her desk and enjoyed a cup off good coffee.

"Dr. Weir? I just came to report that the malfunctions during Kolya's coup wasn't malfunctions at all" her gaze immediately swung up to critically watch Zelenka.

"What do you mean? They must have been, we've had malfunctions for almost a month now…"

"Yes but I've come up with a explanation for that as well. My best guess is that the malfunctions was a reaction to Colonel Sheppard not being here and that when he appeared last night, the city provided him with what he needed" the scientist spoke excitedly and had closed the door behind him as he walked into the room. Stunned she just stared at him for a while.

"Are you saying the city won't work properly without him?" Zelenka started to shake his head slightly as he tried to explain.

"Of course it could function without him, as it has been for the last month. Only that if functions _better_ when the Colonel is here. I believe the city is programmed to serve the ancients and perhaps those with…"

"a strong enough ATA gene"

"Precisely! And since the Colonel is the strongest one we have…"

"Why thank you Dr. Zelenka I'm pleased to hear that!" came unexpectedly the voice off Colonel Caldwell into the conversation. Both she and Radek turned sharply to the man in the door.

"Colonel, I'm pretty sure that door was closed"

"And Doctor, I'm pretty sure we watched Zelenka and his team die yesterday. I'm merely doing my job by figuring out how he survived and took out those Genii soldiers" surprised by the cold meeting she raised an eye brow before she turned to Zelenka and nodded.

"We were saved by Colonel Sheppard actually, he's the one who killed them" the scientist said and she smiled softly to him in reassurance.

"That's good Radek, please return to your work" the man disappeared before anyone had any chance to change their mind.

"So that man is responsible for 51 men's death?" Caldwell asked grimly.

"It would seem so. Just a good thing he came when he did…"

"Unscheduled off world activation!"

___

Lorne and his team stood around the closed gate and watched how a silvery white light slid through the iris and hovered above the floor in front off the gat for a moment.

"Don't open fire!" Dr. Weir suddenly called out before she ran down the stairs.

"What?!" came Colonel Caldwell's voice behind her.

"Stand down gentlemen!" Dr. Weir called and they all exchanged nervous glances.

"Ignore that order!" Caldwell called but then Dr. Weir stalked past them and up to the white mist thing that now started to form itself.

"Welcome back to Atlantis Chaya, to what do I owe you this surprise?" their leader spoke just as the mist finished changing into a beautiful woman.

"Dr. Weir. I'm sorry off my intrusion into your city. No one is to badly hurt I hope?" the woman, Chaya, asked and he and his men lowered their weapons. Dr. Weir gave a odd look for a moment.

"No but it sounds like you knew we were in trouble last night?"

"I trust that you received the help you needed in time?" He stood passively as he watched the women talk (fight?) politely. Dr. Weir then smiled.

"We did. Is that why you have come?"

"Oh, no, no, no! Not you again, you can't have him!" they all turned to stare at McKay who glared at Chaya before he turned around and disappeared. Stunned he turned back to the women.

"No, despise what Dr. McKay may think I'm not here for John. However I would need your help" Chaya said before she slowly made a small circle around something, stopping behind it. The it was a small girl with dark, red-brown curls falling over her shoulders and wide hazel eyes looking around as she gripped Chaya's long sleeve harshly.

"I was hoping you'd take this child back to her father for me" Chaya smiled as if was the most simple request in the galaxy. He watched (half amused, mind you) Dr. Weir open and close her mouth for a moment.

"How are we supposed to do that? We have no idea where she comes from…"

"The answer lay closer then you would think Doctor" Chaya said before she bent down to the child

"You know what your father said, so there is no need to worry."

"But they look mean!" the child's voice sounded scared and as she looked around again he thought he saw something familiar in the way she stood, almost lazy but determinate. Chaya smiled at the child again.

"Do everyone look mean?" she asked simply. The child chock her head.

"Be nice to these people, you know your father likes them" The child nodded and a moment later Chaya stood up.

"Thank you Dr. Weir. Now I must return. Good bye" and a moment later the woman was a mist again that disappeared through the stargate. There was a silence for a moment. Then he was almost run down by something hitting him around his hips. Surprised he caught his balance before he looked down at the girl hugging him as hard as she could.

"Well then Major, I guess you'll be the one who'll look after her until we figure this mess out. Make sure the infirmary check her out" Caldwell said before he walked away again.

"I don't like him" the girl whispered and he couldn't help but to smile at her.

"Yeah? Why not?" he asked as he bent down to look her in the eyes. There he saw a familiar mischievous sparkle as she answered.

"Because he's bald!"

___

"How often do you clean your gun?" the girl asked as he took off his side arm and laid it on the bed. Surprised by the strange question he stopped in unzipping his vest for a moment.

"When I need to, why do you ask?" he asked back after a moment and threw the vest down on the bed to. They'd go to the mess hall before going to the infirmary, if he knew SGA-1 right there would be a escape planed about now and this girl didn't need to be in the middle off it.

"Daddy always cleans one off his guns when I'm going to bed. Otherwise I can't sleep" the girl told him and he felt himself stare at her for a moment.

"Why don't you tell me your name and a little more about your dad huh?" he asked her and took her hand gently as they started on the way to the mess hall.

"My name is Megan but sometimes it's just Meg. And daddy is the best one ever! He told me that if I got lost and I saw one off you, I'd go up to you and you'd help me" Narrowing his eyes slightly he turned to watch the girl who jumped along side him, shining like the sun.

"Did he tell you why?" he asked and Megan turned to look at him critically.

"I trust you Major Lorne. Just as daddy told me to" and with those words she started to pull up a familiar chain from under her dress. Slowly he bent down and took the metal tags from her to read the name that stood there.

"John Sheppard… like father like daughter huh?" he told her before they turned around and walked through wards the infirmary.

___

Ronon walked quickly as he pushed the wheel chair before him. Next to him McKay went, checking the LSD and shutting down corridors with people in them. At his other side went Teyla, leading the IV-pole alongside Sheppard.

_"Ronon, where's you position?_ Lorne suddenly asked through the radio and he growled.

"Try and send him away and I will kill you" he answered simply without slowing down. At his side he saw McKay roll his eyes at him.

"There are two life signs coming in the corridor up ahead"

"Then shut it off" he growled back. Before McKay even had a chance to start the door closed.

_"I don't want him to leave either! Come on Ronon this is important!"  
_  
"I didn't shut that door!" McKay exclaimed at his side and Sheppard chuckled.

"I think Atlantis is trying to suck up to me"

"Oh hardy har har, that's so funny I forgot to laugh!" McKay said as Teyla smiled at them.

"Course, I'm a funny guy" Sheppard answered back just as they passed the corridor they had just locked.

"Sir!" was suddenly shouted through the door as Lorne appeared and banged on it to get their attention. In his hands was a pair off dog tags. A second later the door opened and something small rushed up against Sheppard. He had just pulled his gun to shoot it when Sheppard stood up and caught the thing in his arms.

"Megan! How did you get here?" he asked as he looked at his adopted daughter.

"Chaya dropped me off. Are you ok? Did you kill them all? Where are you hurt?" she asked as she proceeded to push him back into the wheel chair. Chuckling he allowed her to do it.

"Thank you Major" he said and smiled at his friend.

"I don't know what your talking about Sir. I never saw you and that one ran away" Lorne said and pointed at Megan before he saluted and left. The door closed behind him softly.

"What the hell is going on?!" McKay suddenly shouted and both off them rolled their eyes.

"McKay, Ronon, Teyla. This is Megan and I kind off adopted her a few weeks ago" he said and watched them closely. McKay stared at him like he was insane, Ronon looked Megan over before he shrugged and started pushing the chair again. Teyla had one of those understanding woman looks that he never understood.

"Can I take that? That way, incase Colonel Bald shows up you can knock him out" Megan said simply and he watched how Teyla easily handed the girl the IV-pole.

"Meg, Teyla can't do that. They have to live here in the city with him you know"

"We're coming with you this time" Ronon said from behind him and he twisted to quickly when he tried to get a look at the man.

"You _what?!" _he asked through the pain and immediately Teyla's soft hands helped him to sit up and to check on the wound in his side.  
_"_Yeah well we obviously can't leave you alone" McKay said and sent a look at Megan who only stuck her tongue out at him. The amusing part was that the scientist did the same.  
_  
_"It is true John, we wish to accompany you" Teyla said and Ronon only grunted his approval.

"But guy's… this is your home"

"Home is where family is" Teyla's final words was before she moved away and nodded at Ronon to continue. Within ten minutes they were in the jumper bay and Megan looked around stunned.

"Wow" she said as she quietly followed them. When they came to the stairs Ronon walked around and scoped him up even through his protests.

"Let us take care off you for once" the man said and annoyed (and embarrassed, even through he wouldn't admit it) he allowed himself to be carried up. Teyla had taken the IV- pole so Megan could skip alongside them carelessly.

"Are we going back to Icetopia? Because I can bet all McKay's chocolate that they'll serve fish…"

"Hey! Why my chocolate? Sheppard what have you been teaching her?!" McKay asked panicked as he pointed at Megan who only smiled.

"And Icetopia? Fish?" the man continued mercilessly and he rolled his eyes as they walked onboard the cloaked jumper. Apparently it left McKay stunned enough time for Ronon to lay him down on the furs and blankets and pillows that was their bed.

"It's an Ice planet. They aren't exactly inventive when naming things but hey, it's all ice anyway" John explained with a shrug as he jawed.

"There can't have survived any people if there was only ice there" McKay continued as he sat down at the bench by the bed. Teyla was busy checking around and Ronon har laid down on the other bench to take a small pretend nap while he listened at them and after trouble.

"Well all the land is ice anyway. They have a huge ice ocean and there somehow grow threes from the ice. My guess is that they grow from the base off the planet and through the ice. You'll like it, they are actually trying to dig down trough the ice to the actual planet!" Megan started and he just hmm'ed along. They had flown over the planet and talked about the trees countless off times. Especially when he was working on digging said hole. Before he knew it he had begun to fall asleep.

___

Still with his left arm in a sling since the Genii incident a week ago he had to hack away the damn ice with his knife instead off the hatchet he'd been able to use before. Megan was as usual sitting up at the edge playing with her doll and Ronon had joined the hunting party since they all was tried off fish. Rodney and Teyla was away on a trading mission to get some potato and perhaps carrots. They had all sat down surprisingly well to living on this cold piece of the universe. Especially McKay. The man actually seemed… at ease with living a simple life. Ronon also seemed rather fine life. Teyla and Megan had soon become close friends and it glared him that there was a woman she could relate to when she grew older.

"Oh for God's sake don't tell me you like it here too!" came suddenly from the top of the hole and surprised he looked up. There stood General O'Neill himself with his hands at his sides and a clearly amused look on his face. Slightly embarrassed he left the knife in the ice and ruffled the hair at the back of his head nervously.

"oh Hi General" he called up and carefully stood up so he wouldn't slipp and tripp.

"What is it with you and cold, deserted places, young man?" O'Neill called down and he chuckled a little as he started to climb up.

"I guess they make me feel like home" he called back just before he came up over the edge. Surprisingly, O'Neil's hand shot out and helped to pull him up.

"Happy home you must have had" O'Neill comented just as he feelt Megan attatch herself around him. Without looking down he laid his good arm around her.

"You know we told Carter she couldn't keep hers" O'Neill said and he couldn't help but to laugh at the surreality off all this.

"Sir, how did you even… _why_ did you even?" he asked, not for the life off him understanding how the general could just have woken up one morning and decided; "Hey, I'll go to the Pegasus galaxy and visit a crazy ice planet just for the heck off it".

"Well about a week ago on out weekly check ups. Weir starts this really crazy story about you showing up and killing 51 hostiles before taking off again with the best off her people's resignition letters lying on her desk" the General said and he couldn't help but to rearange his slinged arm under the jacket.

"So I said that if they found you, I'd come myself and get you back since you weren't even supposed to leave Atlantis from the beginning" He stared at the older man for a moment.

"Come again Sir?" he asked stunned.  
"You weren't supposed to go back to McMurdo! Both me and general Landry was out when the order was sent from the vice president. We got back just in time to send a team to the planet you had dissapered to that happened to be culled. You've been MIA and presumed dead for a month now." The man was standing there and checking him over for a reaction, apparently pissed off by all this for some reason.

"Did you know that all those malfunctions was because you weren't in the city? Or that the missions dropped their effectivness by 35%? Or that no one is willing to turn on all those handy little things you keep leaving for them to find?" the older man looked slightly amused by all this.

"I told you, you were the best" Megan said from his side and O'Neill turned to her and smiled.

"And who might you be then?"

"Megan. So you want us back at Atlantis?" she asked and O'Neil nodded.

"Yep something like that. Your dad is prerry important there. Dr. Weir looked like she might even consider moving out here herself if he didn't come back"

"Sir isn't it better Caldwell stays in charge? I know that I never was the ideal officer you wanted …"

"Oh, for crying out loud! Caldwell might be a fine man but he can't run the city like you did and not to mention the idiot now in charge pff the _Deadalus_ has her coming in late and losing cargo and God knows what else…"

"Even Kolya said your shoes were hard to fill if that's any better" Elizabeth's voice suddenly came from behind them. Stunned for the second time that day he twisted around to see not only Rodney and Teyla but a large part of Atlantis population.

"So this is where you've been hiding out" Elizabeth smiled as she walked forewards and hugged him.

"Elizabeth?" he asked stupidly.

"Have you lived out here long enough to forgett about us Colonel?" she asked clearly amused before she turned to Megan.

"Why didn't you say he was your father, young lady?"

"You didn't ask" Megan smiled cheekily. Both O'Neill and Elizabeth chuckled at her.

"Does this mean we _finally_ can go home?" Lorne suddenly called out as he started to jum around to gather his warmth. He couldn't help himself.

"I told you you'd only visit me if you wanted to freeze to death!"

___

He looked out over the city from his and Elizabeth's troubling balcony as the others called it and was amazed by the warm ocean brese and the sparkling sunset.  
"Yeah, how could almost you leave all this?" O'Neill asked from behind him and he turned to smile at the man.

"Thank you Sir. For not sending me to court marshial for disobeying orders" he said and closed his eyes fo fully enjoy the sun on his skin.

"Nah, If I had a court marshial for every time I disobeyed orders I wouldn't be even be in the military anymore!" the genral said as he joined him by the fence.

"That can't be completely true Sir" he argued and the man looked thoughtful.

"Yeah I guess you're right, I know too much. I'd be mopping the gate room floor for a living" he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.  
"Ah there you go. So where's the girl, Kirk?"

"I think she's off watching Ronon beat the marines senseless, Sir" he answered simply. It was mutch to good t be back in the city. It feelt like it was all around him and welcoming him back. Back home.

"Drop the Sir why don't you? I'm not that old…out off curiosity why didn't you return to earth?" now slightly trubbeled he turend around to watch the other man.

"I guess that after everything that has happened here in this galaxy and every enemy I've meet, I just couldn't leave. And to go back to McMurdo to fly choppers after a jumper…"

"I know what you mean" the general said after a moment. "There is something about this city. It's calling somehow…"

"I had forgotten you had the gene Sir"

"So that's what it is? I thought is was McKay paying back because I left a lemon in his pillow…"

Inside he could see Elizabeth walking around the coralroot with a cup coffee in her hand. At her side walked Rodney and talked as fast as he could as he motioned at something at a computor.

"Do you know why the vice presient managed to get you transferred in the first place?" the general suddenly asked and stunned he turend to him.

"I just presumed that someone who knew me thought I wasn't fit for the job" he said with a shrug.

"No, It was a certain Patrick Sheppard that called in a number of favours to get 'Major Sheppard' transferred back to McMurdo. Guess he thought it was safer out there" For a moment he was stunned. His mind still and empty.

"I feel slighlt bad for the person that had to deliver the MIA letter to him" was all he finally said.

"Tell me abut it! But honestly, I can see that you made yourself a nice little family in this part of the universe" O'Neill said just as the door opened and Megan th rew herself around his waist.

"Daddy! Daddy! You _have_ to see this! Uncle Ronon can throw people acctoss the _room_!" the girl said as she started to pull on his arm.

"Yeah I know General. Thank you" he said, holding back the five year old for a moment.

"Hmm now go on Colonel. Ronon _can throw across the room_" the older man said with a knowing smile. Then he let Megan drag him away, back to his real family and home.

___

The End


End file.
